Pettis Family History
| Welcome To Pettis Family History!!! This website is the online home and memorial for the descendants of John Petty and Ann Canning of Springfield Massachusetts Bay Colony (ca 1663), the first of our line to bear children in America. Inside, you will find detailed, referenced and authenticated information about John Petty and Ann Canning and their descendants in North America. Please feel free to browse this site and take time to become familiar with the incredible stories it contains. YOUR FEEDBACK AND SUBMISSIONS ARE MOST WELCOME! webmaster@pettisfamilyhistory.org |
| Old First Church - Springfield, MA Founded in 1637 |
| The Origin of the Pettis Name The surname Pettis is a derivation from the name "Petty", which was the original name the family used when they came to America. Since spelling conventions, especially where surnames were concerned, did not become uniform in the English Language until the Eighteenth Century, the name "Petty" is seen in many forms prior to this period: Pettee, Pettie, Petey, Pety, Pettey, Pattee, Pettys, Petteys, Pettus, Pettis, Pittee. Pettis is derived from the plural form of "Pettys", as in the Pettys. This change appeared in America when some of the descendants of John Petty began spelling the name P-E-T-T-I-S. There are other descendants of John Petty of Springfield, Massachusetts who chose one of the other derivations. |
| Site Visits Since 1 February 2010 |
| Technical questions please Email webmaster@pettisfamilyhistory.org |
| © 2010 – Pettis Family History All Rights Reserved |
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| ETYMOLOGY OF THE NAME PETTY / PETTIS The Petty / Pettis name may derive from the Old English word petty (mid 14th Century AD) from the Old French word petit meaning "trifling," or "small" (11Century AD), probably from Late Latin stem of pitinnus "small," of uncertain origin. The word comes perhaps ultimately from the Celtic root pett- "part, piece, bit". Petty has been attested as a surname from 1086 AD. In England, petty has replaced petit (q.v.) in most usages, except in established forms. In Roman times, the gens Aelii had a cognomina (family name or surname) Paetus, derived from the Latin adjective, paetus meaning, "with a cast in the eye, blinking, leering." The plural form of Paetus is Paetii, which is pronounced nearly the same as "Petty" in English. This adds yet another interesting possible origin for the name, since the Romans were active in both France and England in early times. This name was born by: Publius Aelius Paetus, consul in 337 B.C., and one of the first plebeian augurs in 300 B.C. Publius Aelius Paetus, plebeian aedile in 296 B.C. Gaius Aelius Paetus, consul in 286 B.C. Quintus Aelius Paetus, a pontifex who fell in the Battle of Cannae, 216 B.C. He had been a candidate for the consulship that year. Publius Aelius Q. f. Paetus, a well-known jurist, consul in 201 B.C. Sextus Aelius Q. f. Paetus Catus, an eminent jurist, consul in 198 B.C. Quintus Aelius P. f. Q. n. Paetus, consul in 167 B.C. The Roman/Latin information is included here, because there is evidence that some surnames from the French Region may derive from their ancient Latin predecessors. This theory has not been nearly so substantiated as the immediate transliteration from Old French, of which we can be reasonably certain. The English Language is a composite of Saxon (Germanic), Jut (Danish), Angle (Danish), French (Derived mostly from Latin), Celtic (Originally spoken in all the British Isles until the 5th Century A.D.) and most recently the various words and phrases added from increasing contact with other cultures. The academic fields of evolutionary linguistics and evolutionary anthropology may one day clarify this. |
| Every effort has been made to present only that information which has been deemed reliable and valid, generally from more than one published scholarly work. Where conflicting information exists (in very few instances), the information presented is that which can be concluded by a reasonable person examining the available resources. As with any research, it is unlikely that there will be perfect consensus on each finding. This is as it should be. History is always subject to a certain amount of speculation and interpretation. Wherever controversy exists, the ideal is to present an objective statement regarding all available information, and submit what we know to the reader for their own assessment, and most importantly, for further research and examination. For a list of works consulted in creating the information presented on this website: Click Here |
| "The Pettis Coat of Arms" The Pettis Coat of Arms was brought to England in 1066 after the Battle of Hastings by Aluric Le Petit, listed in the Domesday Book of 1086, when hereditary surnames were imported into England from France. |
| "Per Ardua Liberi" - Family Motto This can be variously translated from Latin as: Free through extreme difficulties, or alternately "Through hardships, we are (made) free." |
| Why Share What I Know???? |
In just a few generations, a great deal of vital family information is lost to future
descendants. With no central repository for stories, photos, and other records,
those who come after us will face the struggle of laboriously recreating a family
record. When we share what we know with others, we are giving the vital gift of
IDENTITY and sparing them the agony of years of historical and genealogical
research. PLEASE SHARE WHAT YOU KNOW. Full credit will be given to
each submission, to whatever extent you would like.
descendants. With no central repository for stories, photos, and other records,
those who come after us will face the struggle of laboriously recreating a family
record. When we share what we know with others, we are giving the vital gift of
IDENTITY and sparing them the agony of years of historical and genealogical
research. PLEASE SHARE WHAT YOU KNOW. Full credit will be given to
each submission, to whatever extent you would like.